Each document, reference, patent application, or patent cited in this text is expressly incorporated herein in its entirety by reference, which means that it should be read and considered by the reader as part of this text. That the document, reference, patent application, or patent cited in this text is not repeated in this text is merely for reasons of conciseness.
The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. It should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge of the person skilled in the art in any jurisdiction as at the priority date of the invention.
In a multi-cell wireless network, there are multiple network access points, which may be fixed wireless base stations, with which devices, such as mobile devices or mobile stations, may establish a connection, in order to access the wireless network. For example, the wireless communication technology used may be Wi-Fi. The mobile device may establish a connection with a particular access point to access the wireless network.
Accurate estimation or determination of a location or position of a mobile device within the network is useful for implementing actions. Such actions may include, for example, various location-based services, and handover procedures.
The location or position of a mobile device within the network is typically obtained via localization using Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of radio signals, as seen by the device or the access point.
Sources of uncertainty arise when using such techniques that may lead to the determined location of the device being inaccurate.
One source of uncertainty especially arises when the device is a telecommunications device such as a smartphone. Particularly, anisotropic wireless reception characteristics of the smartphone may potentially reduce the RSSI as seen from one or more of the access points being used in the localization process.
Another source of uncertainty arises in situations where there is a source of signal obstruction or interference near the device, such as the head of a user in the case of a smartphone being used in a typical or normal mode of operation next to a person's head, which may also potentially reduce the RSSI as seen from one or more of the access points being used in the localization process.
It is against this background that the present invention has been developed.